Mud shield for shoe heels



1948- c. G. JACOBSEN 2,446,285

MUD SHIELD FOR SHOE, HEELS Filed May 3, 1946 Inventor CZar/zs G. Jacobaew.

Attoreys Patented Aug. 3, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE MUD SHIELD FOR SHOE HEELS Charles G. .iacobsen, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 3, 1946, Serial No. 667,198

1 Claim.

1 My invention relates to mud shields for shoe heels, and has for its primary object the provision of a simple and eflicient shield which is readily applicable to the shoe heel and removable therefrom, and which is adapted for protecting the shoes, stockings and other clothing of the wearer from being splashed with mud and moisture that is flicked up from the bottom of the shoe heel in walking on a wet surface.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a shield of the above kind which will readily accommodate itself to shoe heels of different cross sectional sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shield of the above kind which is shaped and accurately fitted to the shoe heel by the act of applying the shield.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as more specific objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe having a shield applied to the heel thereof, said shield being constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a somewhat similar view with the shield in substantially central longitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 33 of Figure 1, with the shoe heel omitted.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the body and flange of the shield are formed.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present shield comprises a unitary element preferably stamped from a sheet of suitable stiff, flexible and non-absorbent material, such as fibre-board or metal. This element includes a body 5 which is preferably of nearly circular form as shown and which has a concaved front edge at 6 generally conforming to the curvature of the rear portion of the heel H and provided on said edge with a depending flange 1 that is formed with end openings or slots 8.

A continuous elastic attaching band 9, adapted to snugly embrace the heel, is threaded rearwardly through the openings or slots 8 and extended across the rear surface of the flange 1 between said openings or slots 8, whereby to arch the body 5 and to flex the flange 1 into snug contact with the heel when the shield is applied to the latter. The flange 1 is disposed at an acute angle to the body 5 so as to dispose the latter at a rearward inclination when in use, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The flange l is also preferably divided centrally as at Ill so as to provide said flange in the form of spaced sections II and i2 and thereby facilitate the arching of the body and the flexing of the flange.

In practice, the band 9 possesses such extensibility as to accommodate itself to shoe heels of different cross-sectional sizes, and the curvature of the edge 6 is such as to at least conform to the curvature of the heels of largest size of a given type.

In use, it is simply necessary to stretch the band 9 so as topermit the same to be positioned about the heel H of the shoe at the desired distance above the bottom of the heel. The band 9 is then released so as to allow the same to contract into snug engagement with the heel, at which time the body 5 is caused to assume an arched condition as illustrated, and the flange l is brought into snug contact with the rear portion of the heels surface. The body 5 is thus effectively supported in the desired rearwardly projecting and inclined position so as to effectively intercept any mud or moisture which may be flicked upwardly from the bottom of the heel in walking.

It will of course be understood that the body 5 may be varied in size and shape within certain limits, and that the shield may be adapted to both womens and mens shoes. Other minor changes and modifications are contemplated, such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

A mud shield for shoe heels comprising a body in the form of a relatively stiff and flexible normally flat sheet of material having a concaved front edge extending completely from side to side of the body and generally conforming to the curvature of the rear portion of the heel and provided on said edge with a pair of spaced depending flange sections formed with openings adjacent their outer ends, said flange sections being joined throughout their lengths to the body, and a continuous elastic attaching band for the body adapted to snugly embrace the heel, said band being threaded rearwardly through said openings and extended across the rear surface of the flange sections between said openings, whereby to arch the body and to flex the flange sections into snug contact with the heel when the shield is applied to the latter.

CHARLES G. JACO-BSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 186,843 Johnson Jan. 30, 1877 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 284,055 Great Britain Jan. 26, 1928 

